Cottonseed hull and fiber separator



v Oct. 29, 1929.

Filed July 3.7, 1928 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY COTTON SEED HULL ANDFIBER SEPARATOR Filed July 17, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY PatentedOct. 29, 1929 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK K. GARDNER, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

CORNSTALK PRODUCTS COMPANY, INC.,

DELAWARE 0F NEVJ YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF COTTONSEED HULL AND FIBERSEPARATOR Application filed July 17, 1928.

This invention relates to devices designed to separate the linters fromthe waste hulls of cotton seeds.

In the treatment of cotton seeds, the long fibers are easily removed,but a considerable and valuable quantity of the cotton fibers cling tothe waste hull or husk, these clinging fibers being commonly calledlinters.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for separating thelinters from the waste hulls, and to attain the desired result,advantage is taken of the difference in the specific gravities of thehulls and the linters.

In order to obtain a separation, the waste hulls must be thoroughlycooked and treated so as to loosen the cotton fibers from the hulls. \Vhen this has been done the liquid mass is highly diluted with water, andagitated to cause the heavier hulls to drop to the bottom and allow thelight fibers to float on the water, care being taken to providesufficient water, as otherwise the linters will be carried down with thehulls.

The above and other objects are attained by the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and shown inthe accompanying drawings, constituting a material part of thisdisclosure,

. and in which ing towardcentral discharge openings 8.

Su orted from the tops of the dam boards and depending lnto thecompartments are perforated metal separator screens 9, the perforationsin these screens being of a size sufficient to allow the particles ofnull to sift therethrough.

Serial No. 293,466.

Above the flow box 5, and running longitudinally thereof, is a rockshaft10, journalled in the bearing 11. Fixed to the rockshaft 10, andextending downwardly into the flowing mass, are a plurality of paddles12. the lower extremities of the paddles being positioned slightly abovethe perforated plates 9.

Fixed to the rockshaft is an arm 13, connected to a link 14 which isloosely connected to a crank 15, mounted on a shaft extending from agear set, as generally shown at 16, which in turn is actuated by anelectric motor 17, or any other source of power. Vith this constructionit will be seen that a to and fro oscillative motion is imparted to thepaddles to constantly agitate the mass.

Positioned below the flow tank 5 is a hull receiving chamber 18,connected by means of valves 19 to the discharge openings 8. At one endof the hull chamber 18 is a discharge opening 20, controlled by a valve21, and at the opposite end of the chamber is a water connection 22, andthe discharge from the chamber is into a collector box 23.

The bottom of a receiving compartment 2% opens at 25 into a pipe whichis controlled by a valve 26.

. The discharge of the flow box 5 is into the compartment 27, fittedwith an inclined screen 28, which is removable and divides thecompartment laterally. The bottom of the compartment 27 opens at 29 intoa flow pipe 30, controlled by a valve 31, and discharges into thereceiving tank 32.

The receiving tank 32 opens at 33 into a pipe 3-1 which is connected toa centrifugal pump 35, the latter discharging through pipe 36 into thereceiving compartment 24 of the flow box 5. g

In operation, the flowbox 5 is first flooded with water until the wateroverflows the successive dams 6, and fills each of the compartments. Themass of waste hulls is then pumped into the receiving chamber 24,through the opening 25. The incoming mass of hulls and linters meets thewater being discharged from the pipe 36 and is swerved and agitatedthereby. The movement of the diluted mass is then across the top of theadj acent dam 6 into the next compartment where the separation of thelinters from the hulls begins.

The movement of the mass progressively is fromv one compartment to thenext adjacent compartment, and as it passes through each compartment andover the screen plates 9, it is agitated by the paddles 12, which areconstantly rocked by the rockshaft 10.

This action of the paddles 12 prevents settling of the moving fiber withthe hulls to the screen plates and causes the hulls to work down throughthe floating linters and thence through the perforations in the screenplates 9 to the lower divisions of the compartments, where the hullsaccumulate around the discharge openings 8.

From time to time the valves 19 are opened to allow the accumulatedhulls to discharge into the hull chamber 18, from which the hulls areflushed out by a jet of water entering chamber 18 from water pipe 22,and finally discharged through the opening 20 into the hull receivingchamber 23.

The floating linters ride with the water "flow over each successive dam,finally flowing into a chamber :27 on to a screen plate 28. The waterpasses through fine perforations in screen 28 into the lower half of thechamber 27, and out through an opening 29, and

fiow pipe 30, into a water chamber 32, from whence it is pumped by acentrifugal pump back into the receiving chamber 24. The cleaned lintersaccumulate on the fine screen 28 and are removed from time to time.

l/Vhile the greater portion of the waste hulls will accumulate in thefirst three or four compartments, it is obvious that this system maycomprise any number of compartments, and that both the accumulatedlinters and the accumulated hulls may be constantly removed bycontinuous conveyors or by other means. However, it should be noted thatthe previous manipulation and treatment of the waste hulls and linters,before they are discharged into the separating system, have a great dealto do with the final success of the apparatus and accomplishment of thedesired results.

The waste hulls must be thoroughly cooked and treated so as to loosenthe cotton fibers from the husk of the cotton seed in order toaccomplish satisfactory results.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive andillustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of theinvention,

of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including manymodifications without departing from the general scope herein indicatedand denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus for separating linters from waste cotton seed hulls,comprising a flow tank having spaced dam boards to divide the tank intoa plurality of compartments, the first compartment having an opening inits bottom through which a mass of linter and hulls to be separated maybe introduced, perforated separating plates suspended in each of thecompartments except the first and last, paddles positioned in thecompartments except the. first and last, paddles positioned in thecompartments above the separatingplates, means for oscillating thepaddles to agitate the mass of hulls and linters in a water bath, andapertures in the bottoms of said compartments to enable the precipitatedhulls to be drawn ofi after the linters have been separated therefrom.

2. An apparatus for separating cotton fiber from waste hulls, comprisinga flow tank filled with water and divided into a plurality ofcompartments, perforated separating plates suspended in each compartmentexcept the first and last, means for agitating a mass of fiber and hullsin each compartment through which waste hulls precipitated through theseparating plates may be drawn ofi.

3. An apparatus for separating cotton fibers from wastecotton seedhulls, comprising a flow boX filled with water and divided into aplurality of compartments, perforated separating screen plates suspendedin each compartment except the first and the last, means for agitating amass of linters and hulls above the separating plates, means forremoving precipitated waste hulls through the plates, and an inclinedscreen plate in the last compartment upon which the sepa rated cottonfibers may accumulate.

4 In an apparatus for separating cotton fibers from waste cot-ton seedhulls, a com- '7 partment having a perforated screen plate suspendedtherein, a plurality of paddles positioned in the compartment above thescreen plate, means to rock the paddles-to and fro, and means in thebottom of the compartment to enable precipitated waste hulls to be drawnoft from time to time. i

5. In anapparatus forv separating cotton fibers from waste cotton seedhulls, a compartment having a perforated screen plate suspended therein,an agitating device positioned in the compartment above the screenplate, and means to enable waste hulls to, be drawn 05 after they havebeen preci-pi tated through the screen plate. I

6. The method of separating cotton fibers from waste cotton seed hullsthat have, been cooked and treated to loosen the cotton fiberstherefrom, which comprises passing a mass of such said hulls andcotton'fibers together, with a large quantity of water over a' plu-frality of perforated screen plates, agitating themixture of water,fibers and hulls to pre cipitate the waste hulls through perforationsvvrap in said plates, and then passing the mixture of water and fibersover an inclined perforated screen from which the fibers may becollected after the water has passed through the perforations in theinclined screen.

7. The method of separating cotton fibers from waste cotton seed hulls,that have been cooked and treated to loosen the cotton fibers therefrom,which comprises passing a mass together with a large quantity of waterover a plurality of perforated screen plates, and agitating the mass andwater to cause the waste hulls to be precipitated through theperforations of the screen plates while the free cotton fibers float onthe surface of the Water.

8. The process of separating fibers from particles of greater specificgravity than the fibers which comprises suspending a mass of mixedfibers and particles in water, passing the suspension over a pluralityof perforated screen plates while agitating the suspension sufficientlyto maintain the fibers in suspension but insufiiciently to keep theheavier particles in suspension whereby said particles will subsidethrough said screen plates and thereupon passing the remainingsuspension of fibers and water over means for effecting a separation ofsaid fibers from said Water.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

FRANK K. GARDNER.

